Promises
by SamanthaLongbottom
Summary: Severus saves Harry from abuse. AU Before she died, Lily made Severus promise her something, and now nine years later he realizes just how deep he promise he made to her was. Consists of nice Malfoys' ,mean Ron bashing. Slight Dumbledore bashing, but goes away quickly. Please read even though it has a bad summary! Rated for child abuse, language and my paranoia.
1. Chapter 1

_**Hey guys! This is my first story, so I would love some feedback! I don't know how long this story will go on, but I would love review to help me decide pairings if I get that far. Anyways, I'm also a beta so I will be busy but will update at least weekly! I might change it to every other day if people are really interested! Like I said in the summary, this story will have nice Malfoys' in it, as there are too few of those! Ron will be kind of mean, but tolerable. Oh, and I wrote most of the story in third person view. So, now that I'm done boring you, on with the story!**_

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**Chapter 1**

_The Boy Who Lived_.

Severus swore if he heard that child called that on more time, the speaker would potion ingredients. _No one ever spoke of how the boy lived, _Severus thought to himself, _only that he was alive. They don't talk about what - or who - almost killed him. Although, did I expect anything different? Not really. _What made him angry was how they never spoke of the real reason he lived. _No, not the reason he lived. _He reminded himself, _the sacrifice that was made for him that preserved his life. The boy's mother. My Lilypad. _

He smirked at the nickname he gave her when they were eight. She never objected. She seemed to kind of like it.

There was a memory that always made him smile. Him and Lily were studying in the library when they were in their third year.

**Flashback**

_They had a system where they split the work up so they could help the other. Lily excelled in Charms, Divination(Although her least favorite), Herbology, and Care for Magical Creatures. Severus tutored her in Potions, DADA, History of Magic and Transfiguration. While they were working together, the Marauders decided to cause some trouble with the duo._

_"Hey Snivellus! Not trying to infect our lioness with snake venom I hope? You do know lions travel in packs." James sneered challengingly._

_"And if you had a single working brain cell, you would no that lions travel in prides." Lily shot back, but not without a quick mumble under her breath, " Overconfident, narcissistic, bumbling idiots." Snape smirked. He was rubbing off on the usually gregarious Lily._

_"Look at that, guys! Snivellus is poisoning our little Lilypad-"he was cut off by the sound of Lily raising from her chair and pointing her wand._

_"Your what?" Lily asked with an amused, all too friendly smile. He had never seen the Marauders run so fast in his life. He hid his smirk as she sat back down. "Not that I mind you calling me that, Sev." She hadn't even looked up from her textbook._

_This Time, he didn't even hide his smirk._

**End of Flashback**

He shook his head to snap out of it. Well, his same Lilypad had been gone for 9 years now. Killed by The Dark Lord when she refused to give up Harry. _Harry._ He repeated the name to himself. The son of his best friend and only love. _And the son of the boy who almost killed you! _He sneered t the memory of the child's father. Lily had allowed Severus to babysit for Harry once while she and James were at an Order meeting. He couldn't believe how stunning he boys eyes' were. _Just as his mother's._ These were his thoughts as he walked down the road to Godric's Hollow as he had done every year for the past eight years now. He was briefly reminded of the first night being so panicked, looking around frantically, finding Potter, holding Lily in his arms...

_Stop it!_ He scolded himself. _Stop this self-pity! It's not bringing her back! Now, get through this visit!_ Now that he had finished with that, he made his way silently to the graveyard. He stopped in front of the Potters' stone once again. He crouched down next to Lily's name.

"Hey Lilypad, it's Sev. Thought I'd come by for a visit again." He tried to force himself to keep his voice even and strong while he continued speak to the stone. "Can you believe it's summer already? The dunderheads weren't too bad this year. Just think, two more years and Harry will be at Hogwarts. Don't worry, I'll try to keep my promise." _It's the least I could do for you._

As Severus made his way back down the street, he passed their house. Well, what was left of it. The house had been ignored, so the once proud standing, 2 level Victorian style cottage was now leaning to one side due to foundation weakness and the grass and hedges were outrageous in the front yard. For some reason, Severus was curious about if there was anything left inside. Strangely, he had never thought to check. Dumbledore stepped in and took care of the house. Curiosity getting the best of him, he stepped over the threshold into the yard. He moved swiftly inside as the sun was setting. He hadn't planned on being there this long, so he gave himself a time limit of 20 minutes. He still had to get ready for going to Malfoys' for dinner. So, he set about his search...

15 minutes later, still having found nothing, he prepared himself to leave. He searched the master bedroom last. Still having found nothing, he walked back to the door. But, before he could walk back through, a breeze came through the broken remains of a window. The breeze enveloped Severus. He noticed the soft smell of a flower. He froze when he smelled again.

_Lilies, the breeze smells like lilies. _He turned around, but the closet door caught his eye, and he thought one peek wouldn't hurt. He walked over and opened the door. "Lumos" he spoke, drawing his wand. The closet was small, but it felt bigger since it was empty. He turned to leave when he heard a thud behind him. He spun around quickly with his wand level with his chest. Seeing no one, he looked again. There was an empty cardboard box that was on its side. Severus stepped closer and saw writing on the side of the box.

"For Harry".

He stepped closer when a shining caught his eye. He went to pick up the object catching the light, and saw it was a ring. He took a closer look and almost gasped at what the thing really was. The ring base a pure silver like he had seen only once before. As he examined the stone, he saw it was a deep red colored Garnet stone. The stone for healing, protection and strength. He had no doubt in his mind now that he had seen this ring before. This was the Potters' heir ring.

The first-born son was to ear this after his 9th birthday. Harry's 9th birthday was in a few weeks. Severus felt he should have this. He couldn't let Dumbledore bring it, because he was gone and wouldn't return until two weeks before the start of term. Minerva might try to spoil the boy with lavish gifts if she learned his birthday. No, he would have to do it. He could imagine the large party celebrating the little "hero" would be getting. To think he might spoil the party might almost be worth seeing the spoiled celebrity.

Almost.

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_**So what do you guys think of the first chapter? Too long, too short? I plan on writing chapter two either later today or tomorrow. I'm trying to write it fast so you get a feel for the story. Next chapter, Severus finds Harry and is surprised by what e finds. Also, we meet the Malfoys'! Be excited! Thanks for taking the time to read my story! Reviews would be helpful! Also, if I use your ideas I'll be sure to mention you! Reviews, please? :):):):):)**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing. All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I am not British, therefore, I am not her.**

_**Hey guys! Wow, I was really surprised by the response I got from Chapter One! I would have posted chapter two but it **_

_**was one o'clock in the morning when I posted where I am. Anyways, Here's chapter two! Chapter one came out much shorter than I wanted it to, so I'll try fixing that! Oh, and little joke of the day, Prince William- 100% royalty, Duchess Katie- none. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the new Half-blood Prince! Thanks for all the follows! I appreciate them so much! Chapter three might be tomorrow, if not definitely Thursday!**_

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**Chapter Two**

Yet, what was really happening on Privet Drive was the last thing he expected. Outside a house with an elegant _4_ painted on the mailbox, was not a place of celebration. For inside this little house, Harry, The Boy Who Lived was trying his best to stay breathing.

It took all his energy not to pass out from pain. When they came back, if he wasn't awake, he would get another beating. He looked around his small cupboard for something to focus on. That might help him stay awake. He had to wonder what had happened that day to get him where he was now.

**Flashback**

_This was by far one of the worst days. It started how they usually do, with his cupboard door being yanked open and being grabbed and thrown into the kitchen with the meal instructions for the morning. As he stood up, he prepared all the usual ingredients._

_What changed about this morning was that Dudley was awake and downstairs already at the table, coloring. As Harry was beginning to cook, he made his way to the kitchen._

"_Morning, Freak." Dudley chided while smacking him on the back of the head._

_He knew not to respond. He wasn't allowed to respond. Ever. That was one of the rules he followed. To get breakfast, he could eat what Dudley left on his plate, which was nothing ever. He cooked all meals. If he burned anything, they burn his hands. If it doesn't taste right , he went a week without food. He could have dinner if he finished all his chores for that day. Even then, he only got what the family didn't eat. Again, that wasn't much. If something he cleaned had even a speck of dirt, he got locked in the cupboard for 2 days. Do anything Dudley or his friends asked, no exceptions. Only speaking if saying, "Yes sir, yes ma'am" or "No sir, no ma'am." No sitting on the furniture, freaks didn't deserve furniture. Above all other rules, for the life of you, don't yell at Dudley. Ever. Hitting Dudley would get him killed, yelling at him would make him wish for death. He knew, he did it on accident when he as 5. Breaking any of those rules would result in "disciplinary force" So he continued to cook. _

"_What, wittle wreak wost his woise?" Dudley said challengingly, emphasizing his baby talk for all it was worth. He knew he wasn't going to respond. See, Dudley had a different set of rules in the house. Don't kill the freak. That was his only rule. He could beat on him all day long, but he wasn't allowed to kill the freak._

_Harry was sure this was his name. The only reason he wasn't sure if it was, was the woman who came in his dreams. She always called him Harry. She was tall and very pretty with red hair that reached a little past her shoulders. She had the most beautiful eyes. She always came after the beatings. She spoke soothingly to him. she had silent tears that fell down her face as she looked at him. He knew this woman loved him. She always told him before she left. It was strange, though. She always told him a promise was to be fulfilled soon. She spoke of a man, "Prince" she called him._

_After hitting Harry some more, Dudley got bored and went back to sit down. After breakfast was cooked, and everyone was at the table, Harry served them all. Dudley whined that his sausage was burnt to his parents. Harry hid the look of anger from his cousin. He knew for a fact it wasn't. He prided himself on his cooking ability. Nevertheless, he found himself in front of the stove, with his hands being held to the burner. He bit his lip so he wouldn't cry out. That only guaranteed a beating._

_As the day went on, Harry found himself outside too often. By the time he was done, he had terrible sunburn everywhere. He got a beating for leaving a few leaves in the yard. He cooked lunch and as allowed a glass of water for a job well done of the lunch. By the time Vernon came home, the chores weren't all the way done, so he received another beating. He was shoved in his cupboard for a few hours. When he was finally starting to not feel pain, his Uncle opened the cupboard and dragged him out. This time, he beat on Harry much, much harder. He was yelling something about how the freak ruined this deal for him, how the freak ruins anything._

_Then the worst thing happened. Petunia came sprinting in the room, saw Harry and started yelling, "How dare you! Yell at our Dudley! You worthless, ungrateful freak! We gave you a home, food out of our son's mouth, yet you yell at him! Vernon, deal with this. NOW!" His Uncle nodded with a certain smile on his face._

'_Yell at Dudley? No! I would never do that! He's lying!' Harry thought to himself. He knew than to speak out. 'Now maybe, I should've hit him.' Harry thought. 'Death would be more merciful than what's to come.'_

**End of Flashback**

No, as he lay there bleeding to death, he just wished the death would come faster. He tried laying on his side and curling up. He winced in pain. It was better than laying on his back with all those welts from the belt. He had to admit, though, the welt on his face hurt the most. He lay there, when something caught his eye in front of him. It was his Dream Lady.

He thought for a moment, he didn't think he was sleeping, was he? She had more tears than usual on her face. She sat on the side of his bed and ran a hand through his hair. She stopped when she saw him wince from pain. More silent tears fell.

"Shhh, my Harry. Prince will be here soon. He'll come, my child. Shhh, I love you, Harry." She said soothingly. That was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.

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Severus had changed his mind and decided to wait until later in the evening. He scowled to himself as he walked down Privet Drive. _Why are you doing this? As if the boy won't have enough presents! Let someone else give it to him! the child will probably look at the ring and snatch it from you with some witty remark. _He sneered at the image. _Just let him try to snatch it. Arrogant, over privileged brat. Just like his father._ He sighed to himself. _Let's just get this over with._

As he was walking up to the door, a harsh wind shoved him forward. A very interesting smelling wind. _Lilies again? Why would she do that? _his eyes widened as he got the message. _Hurry. _

He might just be imagining that, but he wasn't taking any chances. He jogged to the door and knocked on the door maybe a tad too hard. What met him at the door was either a large walrus or a small whale.

_Oh, so this is the poor sucker who married Petunia. _Severus thought to himself. _So Lily wasn't exaggerating his size._

"What do you want? Do you understand what time it is? Or are you lacking sense to get watch?" He sneered at Severus. "We aren't buying your stupid product." With that he went to close the door.

Severus easily wedged his foot in the doorway. This man reminded him too much of his father.

"Mr. Dursley, I assure you, I'm not selling anything. Yes, I do indeed know what time it is, but seeing as you are still awake and there is still some light out, I'm hesitant to give a damn. Now, I can come in anytime, the knocking as just a courtesy." Severus smirked at the man's dumbfounded expression.

"What do you want?" He repeated, still not moving to let him in. This was his house and he would not be bullied around by some idiot.

"Do you really wish to have this conversation where all your neighbors can hear us?" Severus gave him an amused smirked. He got him, Mr. Dursley would never want his neighbors spying.

"Fine, come in if you must." This time he moved out of the hallway to allow him entry. He scowled at him as best he could as he past.

"Thank you." Severus smirked as he slipped past the man into the sitting room. On the way past the stairs, his eyes catch a small cupboard under them. As he is still standing, Mr. Dursley finally looked at him again, this time there was less of a scowl. "What do you want, for the last time?"

"Mr. Dursley, I have something in my possession that I would like to give to your nephew, that I will be on my way." He noted how the man's scowl deepened at the mention of his nephew.

"He's not here. Give it to me, I'll make sure the fr- err, boy gets it." The man tried hard to pretend the slip of the tongue didn't happen. Making a swipe for the item in Severus' hand and sneered as Severus backed up.

"Vernon? Do we have company?" He heard the ring of that annoying familiar voice coming from the kitchen. As she walked in, her breath caught in her throat as she moved closer to move behind her husband. "What's that freak doing in our house?"

Her husband looked back and forth between the two of them. "You know this man, Petunia?"

While she was explaining to her husband, there was a small gust of wind that came in through the window. It blew around, then towards the staircase. There was a light on in the cupboard that he must have looked over. He walked over and tried the door. Locked.

"Hey! Stay away from there! I don't need your freakiness in my house!" Petunia was apparently done explaining as she glared at Severus. Severus turned to the door once again.

"_Alohomora!_" He heard a satisfying click. As he opened the door he had to blink several times to make sure what he was seeing wasn't a vision.

He heard Petunia squeal and knew this wasn't fake. There was a very misty version of Lily in front of him. Her spirit. Harry's magic must have called her. She was sitting on the edge of the cot the bastard's must call his "bed", with a hand on her son's small head. On the "bed" was a curled up child that didn't look like he could be older than 5. Severus saw bruises, burns and a lot of open cuts that were still bleeding profusely. He was laying in pool of his own blood. This wasn't the pampered Boy Who Lived, this was a child fighting for their life. Lily looked up, and she looked like she had tears running down her face.

Petunia finally took a small breath, "Is he-" Lily cut her off with the hardest glare he'd ever seen. She kept her scowl tight and aimed at her sister as she spoke. "He's alive, Tuney, sorry to disappoint you. He's bleeding to death. Trust me, I'll deal with you later."

She turned to Severus who still had his head down at the boy with a look of concern. "Sev." His head shot up as he expected the glare to be pointed at him now. He was surprised to see a much softer look for him. One filled with desperation. "Don't beat yourself up, Sev." She smiled softly at the Potions Master. "Now's the time for that promise to be met. Save him, Sev. I'm begging you. Save my little boy." He nodded with determination. "I trust you, Sev. I trust you with something more important than my life. I'll always be your Lilypad, Sev." She walked over to him and put her palm to his cheek. "I'll miss you, Sev. Bring Harry on your next visit to me, eh?" He looked up shocked at her. He never imagined she would actually know he was there. She gave him a warm smile back.

She turned back to her sister. "I'll be back, dear sister. Count on it." With last scowl to her sister, she was gone.

Severus went to Harry and kneeled beside him. He laid a hand softly on the boy's side. He was met with a very violent flinch. Severus ground his teeth. _The child is this skittish in his sleep! These insufferable, abusive, pathetic excuses for human beings! _He calmed himself as he went to pick up the child. The child flinched at first, but slowly curled into the Potions Master. He smiled at the child and turned around to face these people.

"Say goodbye to your nephew, for he will never be returning here again. I will, though." He turned to the sister of his childhood friend. "That, Tuney, is a promise."

With that, he carried the boy outside and placed a warming charm on him. With that, he apparated. Pulling the boy, who had seen this place for the last time, closer to his chest.

_Finally, _Severus thought _I remember the promise well, Lily. I swear to you, I will keep that promise. I always will_

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_**Yay, chapter two done! Next chapter coming soon! Anyone have suggestions for revenge for either Severus and/or Lily? I'm open to suggestions! I must have wrote this chapter over at least 3 times. Review, please? Chapter three coming at the latest on Thursday! Have a good day, guys! Thanks for reading!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter. That would be J.K. Rowling. She is blonde and British. Sadly, I'm neither. Therefore, I'm not her. Hope she doesn't mind me borrowing her characters.**

_**Hey guys! Wow, this story has gotten way more favorites than I thought it would! You guys are awesome! I almost waited until tomorrow to update, but I promised Thursday, so here I am. I was in the hospital yesterday, or I would have updated. I still hurt, so this better be appreciated! Anyways, here is chapter three! We get a glance at Minerva! Who else is excited?**_

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Chapter 3

Severus had not known he was going to Hogwarts before he found himself sprinting up to the castle gates with an unconscious Harry in his arms. as he ran up the path, the gates swung open, recognizing he was in a rush. As he got closer, both sets of doors between him and the infirmary did the same.

"Poppy! Poppy! Poppy, you better bloody well be in here! Poppy!" Severus didn't even recognize his own voice in the urgent tone he was using. He was turning rather quickly trying to see where she was. _Dammit! _Severus thought to himself. _She would be bloody well be gone today, wouldn't she? _

On the last call of her name, Severus sighed in relief to see the medi-witch come out of her office, where she must have had dinner.

"Severus, what is the meaning of this? Do you-" Poppy stopped herself mid sentence seeing the unconscious boy in his arms. The glare fell from her face immediately as she motioned towards a bed nearest them. She ran back to her office to grab her bag and ran back out to them.

Severus quickly put Harry down on the bed and placed him on his back. "I will give him a Dreamless Sleep potion so he doesn't wake up while we're stabilizing him." Poppy just nodded as they fell into step beside each other just as they used to. Severus gave Harry the potion, pinching his nose so he had to swallow. After he had given him the potion, he pulled out a bruise salve he knew he was going to need. Poppy started off with a diagnosis spell to assess how much work would actually have to be done to stabilize him.

Severus had to bite back to the anger he felt when Poppy's wand spat out piece of parchment so long, he wouldn't have assigned that length to his sixth years! He made another reminder in his mind to pay the Dursleys' a visit for the umpteenth time in less than twenty minutes. He tried to look over Poppy's shoulder at the parchment, but Poppy quickly put it away.

"Later." was all she said. She held out her hand for the sale in his hand. He handed it over to him.

"We should first assess the damage done on his back, since he'll be laying on it." Severus nodded his agreement, as he worked the boy over into a sitting up place and he slowly took off the overly sized shirt off the boy.

Poppy gasped at the sight and it took Severus a minute to understand what she gasped at. He placed the boy carefully braced on his shoulder so he could get better access to his back. He bit back his harsh words for the boy's so-called "family". On his back were what appeared to be hundreds of welts. After he rubbed salve on that, he told Poppy he would be back soon. She looked questioningly, but quickly gave him a knowing look and a nod.

Severus made his way out of the Infirmary and up the stairs. He had a very irritating cat to talk to.

Minerva was sitting at her desk when he came in and was doing what appeared to be end of the year paperwork. He strode up to her desk and stood for a minute or two. When after what he felt was too long, he cleared his throat to make his presence known. Minerva's head shot up at the younger wizard, and he backed up a step. With that look she usually gave him, you would think he was still her student.

"Yes, what would you like Severus?" She asked, relaxing a bit more into her tall chair. _How can you be so relaxed now? _Severus silently counted to 10 to calm down. She couldn't possibly have known. "My patience isn't as it once was, Severus, so please get on with it." She spat.

"Harry Potter is here. You requested any information of him?" She sat forward again and he knew he had her attention. "What do you mean? Why is he here? It's summer! I thought he was only nine!" She started asking questions at a mile a minute. If I could get a word in?" Severus asked amused. So, it was finally his turn to have all the answers. How ironic. As he began to update her on everything up to this point. Her anger was radiating off her by the time he was done. A glass that was sitting on her desk shattered controllably, only getting shards on her desk.

"He is alive?" She asked, clearly not hearing what he had just said.

"Barely, but yes he is alive. He is in a potion-induced sleep. He should awaken by tomorrow afternoon from the dose I gave him." Severus said evenly. Hadn't he just said this?

"May I see him?" She asked, hope filling her eyes. It would be torturous for him to say no at this point.

"Yes, but it's not a pretty sight, Minerva." Before he knew it, he was following a frantic professor back down to the hospital wing.

Minerva found herself rushing to Harry's side, grabbing his hand gently. She heard a chair being pushed up behind her. She gave Severus a 'Thank you' look before glancing at Harry again.

Poppy wasn't surprised to see Severus back again, but threw a questioning look at him and Minerva. He gave a shrug. She just nodded in understanding. He told her and she wanted to see him. She pulled the parchment out of her robes and approached the professors to show them what she found.

Severus watched as Poppy approached the two and placed a hand on Minerva's shoulders. The witch looked up at the medi-witch with tears in her eyes. "How is he, Poppy?" Severus was the first of the two to speak.

"Stable, but roughed up a bit. Now, am I to guess what happened from his relatives to correspond with his injuries?" She asked. _Oh Merlin, I hope I'm wrong. _Severus gave her a nod. She handed him the parchment.

_**Diagnosis Spell results of one Harry James Potter**_

_**July 31st, 1989**_

**Head and Shoulders:**

**mild concussion**

**lacerations to the head**

**numerous bruises in varying degrees of healing**

**Torso:**

**four broken ribs**

**lacerated spleen**

**bruises, burns, cuts and welts in varying healing stages**

**Below Torso:**

**fractured femur**

**bruised tibia**

**fracture fibula**

**sprained right ankle**

**Bruises and cuts varying in healing stage**

_**Spell performed by: Poppy Pomphrey**_

_**Witness: Severus Snape**_

Minerva stood dumbfounded for a moment before shaking her head in disbelief. "Poppy, an adult would have a hard time surviving this, how has he lived?" It as true, most people would have died from the lacerated spleen alone.

"He apparently has a gift for healing. His body has become conditioned to the is treatment, speeding up the healing process. His magical core is one of the strongest I have ever seen." Poppy said in her professional voice. Minerva choked back some tears as she stood a little straighter.

"Thank you, Poppy. No, if you will excuse us, Severus and I should tell the headmaster of this new information. Do you mind if I take this with me?" Minerva gestured to the parchment in her hand.

Poppy gave her a knowing look. She nodded to the two professors as they made their way out. As she herself turned around, she said over her shoulder "I expect to still have a boss by the end of that meeting, Severus." She said wisely addressing the calmer of the two. Minerva answered her back instead. "No promises, Poppy, no promises." She said angrily as she made her way up the stairs.

Minerva had given the password and was now storming into the office of an un expecting headmaster. Severus almost felt bad for the old man.

Almost.

"ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE! YOU HAD BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THE REASONS OF THE PLACEMENT OF THE POTTERS' CHILD IN THE INFIRMARY, OR SO HELP ME MERLIN, NOT EVEN _HE _COULD SHIELD YOU FROM MY WAND!" Minerva McGonagall was the only witch in the world who could threaten Albus Dumbledore and get away with it.

Severus backed up a few steps from Minerva to give her space. Albus threw him a questioning look as he began to repeat to him what he had told Minerva, except in more detail.

When he was done, Albus looked fully ready to defend his actions. "You must know, Minerva, I had no idea of the boy's treatment. He was their nephew. I expected him to be treated as their second son. They were his only living relatives, therefore, he had to go-" Albus was cut off by a very pissed off kitty.

"Blood wards only work if there is love to feed them! Without that, they are useless! I told you, I point-blank TOLD YOU they were the worst sort of muggles! Of all the times not to listen to me." Minerva was pacing a hole in the carpet before Severus placed a calming hand on her shoulder. Minerva gave him a nod and took a seat she was offered. Severus remained standing.

"He will be removed from their care immediately. I will find possible candidates for his adoption. It is starting tonight my first priority. Now, Minerva, why don't we talk about this more tomorrow? You two look exhausted. We will discuss this tomorrow." This being an obvious dismissal, both professors left the headmaster's office being forced to be satisfied. At least until tomorrow. Both professors started walking back down to the hospital wing once again.

"Those bastards can't get away with this." Minerva angrily spat under her breath. She was surprised the Potions Master had heard her at all. "Oh, trust me, they won't." Severus chuckled. He explained to her Lily's appearance and her threat as well as his own. Minerva chuckled as well. "Oh, Lily and her temper. I can see her now." Her look turned to concern as she saw his face pale at his old friend's name. "You still miss her, don't you?" Minerva asked.

As he turned her way, she was scared he would shut down again. Surprisingly, there was a look of pain in his eyes. "Everyday, Minerva, everyday." Luckily, they had arrived at Harry's bed, Minerva took a couple of chairs and transfigured them into something more comfortable. Severus went to brush Harry's hair out of his face, and took the chair he was offered from the professor. They both relaxed into their chairs, watching the small boy sleep peacefully.

Minerva had a burning question she was dying to ask, so she brought herself to ask it. "Severus?" The Potions Master turned to her. "Why him? After all his father did to you, why him?"

Severus sighed. He knew this question was coming, but that gave him no comfort whatsoever when it was actually asked. "I made a promise, Minerva. To both the boy and his mother. I intend to keep it."

Minerva gave him a sad smile. "I'm sure you do Severus." After a short time, both fell asleep. Minerva had fallen asleep with her head on Severus' shoulder.

When Poppy came out to check on her patient, that's just how she found them. She gave a smile and covered the to with an afghan. As she went back to her office, she smiled at Severus' protective hand on Harry's. Maybe the young wizard did find something good about his old rival.

Poppy sighed. An age-long rivalry settled by a child. 7 years of spending extended amounts of time in here, and the rivalry dies in the place where it always worsened. _About bloody time, _the medi-witch thought to herself. _About bloody well time._

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**_Told you it would be Thursday! It took me forever and a half to write, but here it is! I would love if you guys would review! As I am still I in pain as I'm writing, it makes me smile :) Anyways, the Severus/Minerva thing is just a friend thing for now. Both are too concerned about Harry to think like that. I don't know if I will make it more further down the line! Also, neither Lily nor Severus will be going back to the Dursleys' for a few chapters, so any ideas for punishment? I have a few I'm going to use but I would love some more ideas. The next chapter should be out late Sunday, early Monday. N,o later than Monday afternoon. Chapter four: Malfoys'! Be excited! Have a good weekend guys! Love ya'll!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**I am so ridiculously sorry this is late! I've been doing about a million other things, and to top it off, I was really sick, so yeah. Anyways, here is another chapter for you guys. Also, I just wanted to acknowledge one of the reviews,. For this story, I won't writing Severus/Minerva. Right now, they have all of their focus on Harry. If this story goes far enough to get to student pairings, I'll cross that bridge if we get to it. Also, they brought to my attention, she's old enough to be his mother. So, that won't be happening. This also proves how important reviews are! Thank you for that! Okay, I'm going to shut up now and get to the story!**_

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Chapter 4

It had now been two days since they had retrieved the boy from his relatives. The child had remained unconscious. They had met a day later, to discuss living arrangements. Severus informed Minerva and Albus of his conversation with the spirit of Lily Evans, and he was told that he was officially the guardian of one Harry James Potter.

When the boy wakes up, he could sign adoption papers or guardianship depending on what the boy wanted. Still, Severus found himself right back to the boy's side when he wasn't brewing. The potions Master found himself settling into the Infirmary chair to keep the boy company. As he was sitting there on the third day he was there, He got a very important peck on the window.

As he looked over, cursing who sent the damn thing, and stopped to look for a second. Right outside his window, wasn't a school owl, or an owl of any kind. Outside the infirmary window. window was a small hawk.

Severus recognized the bird immediately as one of the Malfoys'. _About time it got here, _Severus thought to himself, _I wondered when their response would get here. _Severus pushed himself out of the chair and stalked over to the window and let the hawk in. He took the letter and gave the hawk a treat. As the hawk flew away, Severus considered the letter in his hands. This was it, he couldn't say he wasn't nervous. How the Malfoys responded to him was going to greatly influence how the boy was treated by the wizarding world. If they didn't accept him, Harry would be rejected. If they did accept him, he would be highly regarded.

Yesterday, Severus sent an owl as early as he could, explaining to the family briefly about how he had found him, asking for advice from the wise matriarch. She had a son close to Harry's age. Only his senior by couple of months. He had never seen such a composed woman. All these thoughts ran through his head as he glanced down at the parchment, not expecting what he found. He glanced down at the paper again to make sure he hadn't read it wrong.

_Sev,_

_Floo call me. __**Now**__._

_Cissy_

Putting the parchment aside, he walked up to Poppy's office. He didn't want to leave Harry, but he knew better than to keep the matriarch waiting. He gave himself a time limit of 15 minutes before he would come back.

"Poppy, I have some things to attend for a little while. Could you tell me if Harry wakes up?" Severus asked.

"Of course, Severus. You'll be the first to know." Poopy responded, a knowing smile on her face. He walked away with seeing the smirk on her face. _So it's Harry now and not Mr. Potter? Well, that's a nice change. Oh James, if only you could see your son now. _She shook her head sadly and resumed her work.

As Severus walked down to his dungeons, he went over and over in his mind what she might ask. He wanted to tell the witch of their standings, but he didn't want to leave Harry alone for long. When he wakes up, he's going to be scared, nervous, jumpy and confused. If Severus was there, he could give him Calming Drought in the very least.

As Severus made his way to the fireplace, he took a deep breath. He threw in the floo powder and called "Malfoy Manor!". As he did, Narcissa's face appeared through as if she was waiting for him.

"Severus, finally! Where have you been?" Narcissa started asking. "Do you understand how worried I've been? All you told me was it is a child. Who, what child? Where are the relatives who did this? I swear to Merlin they won't get away with this! They-"

"CISSA!" Severus shouted making himself heard. "Take a breath. I will be dealing with the relative soon enough. I have been with the child since he got here. No, Cissa, they won't get away with this. But your family wouldn't like you in Azkaban, would they?" Severus said, trying to speed through this. It had already been 6 minutes.

Narcissa took ragged breath. "I'm sorry Severus. I was just worried. Can I come through?"

He nervously glanced at the clock. "Give me a second to move." He said. As soon as he stepped aside, Narcissa stepped through. She was beautiful in her long, black robes with silver lining. She was like an older sister to Severus. She kept him alive while he was spying for the Order and she married his best friend. He trusted her.

"It's good to see you again, Severus." Narcissa said as she walked over and gave him a hug. hen they stepped back, he could see the worried look on her face. "How is he?" She asked.

"He's alive, but barely. He is now asleep after we gave him a Dreamless Sleep potion when he came in so he didn't wake up while we were stabilizing him. He should wake soon." Severus glanced at the clock again. Just few more minutes until he went to see Harry again.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Narcissa asked, going towards the door.

Severus was shocked for a minute until he responded. "Wait, what?" he asked. Narcissa gave him a knowing smile. "Severus, it's obvious to me you want to go to him. I can ask you my questions while I sit with him. Lucius will be by shortly and he said he will go straight to the Infirmary. I don't want to keep you, and this way, I get to see him, too." She smiled.

Severus almost sprinted out the door, catching himself. He was grateful for his friend's understanding. He needed to be with Harry and she wouldn't make a nuisance of herself like others might. He nodded to her, giving a small smirk. "Shall we go, then?" He asked, leading the way back up to the Infirmary, with Narcissa behind him. As they made their way back in, he informed Poppy he was back and went to go sit with Harry. When they approached, Narcissa walked up and gasped. _She must have realized who he is. _Severus thought. _Well, won't this be fun?_

"Severus, is that who I think it is?" Narcissa asked nervously.

"Yes, Narcissa, this is Mr. Potter." Severus answered. "Proud site, isn't it?"

"How Severus? He's supposed to be nine years old now, isn't he?" Severus nodded. "He looks to be 5 if he's lucky! How's this possible?"

"Malnourishment and beatings have stunted his growth. He will look to be his age one day with a proper home. He will need a lot of love and a lot of care to get him to where he needs to be." Poppy answered, coming to stand in front of the bed. She gave Narcissa a confused double take and then to me. I mouthed 'advice needed' and she gave an understanding look.

"Oh. Will he wake up soon?" Narcissa asked sitting in the chair on the opposite side of Harry than Severus. She took the too-small hand into both of hers and began rubbing it gently. Some bruises were still there, but many of them were healing up very nicely. Harry flinched from her hand and let out a low whimper. She let go of his hand and gave me a nervous look.

"Remember to him, touch is punishment. I know you mean him no harm. Try again in a few moments." Severus said to her. He turned back to Poppy, waiting for the answer himself.

"According to the scan, he should wake any moment. Inform me if he does." With that, she went back over to her office.

Narcissa went to touch his cheek. She was first met with a scared, weak flinch. After realizing the hand was still there and hadn't hurt him, he leant into the touch. She gave him a sad smile as he moved to sleep, facing her. She took his hand again, this time cautiously and gave a beaming smile when he didn't flinch, recognizing her touch. She smiled at Severus when he looked up from his book. He gave her a nod.

"Impressive. He seems to trust you." Severus said.

"What kind of people can do this to a child, Severus? One as innocent as this?" Narcissa asked, with tears in her eyes. Severus looked up to see someone put a hand on Narcissa's shoulder. She looked up to see her husband give her a small smile, but one filled with sadness.

"That, my love, is not a question easily answered. One could guess, but no one can give a fair answer." Lucius said. He summoned a chair over to sit next to his wife. "Fill me in." While she was doing that, Lucius settled into his chair. "Well, seeing as this boy has caught my wife's attention, it seems she would like to stay here until he wakes up. Is that ok with you, old friend?" Severus gave them nod. This was the weekend their son, Draco, staying with a friend for a few days and, to be honest, he liked the company.

So he settled into his chair that he transfigured for something more comfortable. He leaned back and reopened his book. Narcissa sat by Harry's side, caressing his hand with both of hers, and singing to him. She rarely did that, but always if Draco was upset. He smiled to himself when he saw how Narcissa already cared for the boy. It looked like he was going to have more help than he thought he would. Lucius sat next to his wife, also taking up a book.

As Narcissa sang to Harry, she looked to be losing herself in thought. Suddenly, she looked up at Severus. "Severus, who will he stay with? You can't send him back Severus, you can't!" Narcissa pleaded, remembering her own parents too well. She would take the boy away herself if it came to that. He couldn't go back, ever.

Severus gave her a smirk. "Caring for the boy, Narcissa? Do you understand who the boy's father is?" It was no secret that The Marauders were just as bad, if not worse, to her than they were to Severus. She couldn't stand the group. All because she wouldn't snog him.

Narcissa scowled. "Harry didn't choose his father, Severus. Yes, I still don't like James, but I won't take it out on him. He didn't choose his father. What person would do that to someone?" (**A/N: *cough*Severus would*cough* well, almost did.)**

"Right you are, just checking. He has a guardian who will take him and possible adopt him if the boy is ok with that. He will never go back to his relatives house." Severus said.

"Who is his guardian? Why aren't they here looking after their charge?" Lucius questioned.

Severus sat up a little straighter. "They are here. Looking after him carefully." He stated, smirking at their dumbfounded expressions. The got over the shock quickly and smiled at their friend.

"Severus, I think that's fantastic! That means I can get to know him, too! I mean, who else is going to provide a feminine touch for the boy?" Narcissa asked challengingly, daring him to refuse her.

Severus and her husband chuckled at her, holding on to the boy protectively. "Didn't have anyone else in mind, myself." Severus said, grateful for the help.

Narcissa beamed, sitting up a little more. Then, her surprise, the hand of Harry's she was holding squeezed her hand. She gasped, and nudged her husband. "Go get Poppy! He's waking up!" She said.

Just as he was gone, Harry let out a moan. This bed was so comfortable, but where was he. He opened his eyes, and saw his hand in two small ones. He shot his hand back, not wanting to insult the woman by his touch. Then, he turned and saw a man who was strangely familiar. His angel showed him to Harry. He then remember the man's name.

As he tried to control his shaking, he tried to even his voice as well. He stuttered as he spoke, "P-Prince?"

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_**There you go, an extra long chapter to make up for stupid lateness. Ok, so you have to understand Narcissa's excitement. Voldemort stole her away from Draco, so she hasn't been able to act the way she is in long time. She still acts this way around Draco, but he thinks he's too old for it and rejects it. Severus won't be paired with anyone for a while, and neither will any of the kids. I might hint at it in later chapters, but I won't make an immediate pairing choice. Hope you guys liked the chapter! I'll be working on chapter five tomorrow to make up for my lateness. Love y'all!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Well, well look who decided to update! Sorry guys, I'm working on updating more consistently at least. From now on, I will do my absolute best to update at least weekly. With school starting in less than a month, the day which the update will be on is undecided. I love the reviews and am so thankful for you guys for reading my story! I saw one comment where they named a student pairing, which absolutely made my day that they thought I should take this that tar, Anyways, thank you so much for your time, reviews and words of encouragement! Love you guys! Any questions, please PM me, I don't mind at all :) On with the story! P.S., this chapter is extra long, so grab some hot cocoa and a blanket.**_

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Chapter 5

Harry sat up in the bed he was in. He looked around and tried to make himself smaller. He didn't want to make Prince mad. He searched frantically for either his aunt or uncle. Seeing neither, he started shaking. The people around him looked nice enough, but he was scared his aunt might think he told. Prince looked like he remembered him. A stern, but soft face with brown eyes, a hooked nose and a square chin.

The woman who was holding his hand was very pretty. She was small, but not exactly like Aunt Petunia. She had a kind smile and dark brown hair with a section of silver towards the front. He suddenly wished he hadn't pulled his hand away. _She could be faking it, you know. _He reminded himself how Aunt Petunia always looked nice around other people until he got home and she hit him again.

The man next to her had silvery hair and looked a little like Prince. He smiled at Harry, who return made himself smaller. He didn't want to anger these people. Especially not the kind looking woman. He turned to Prince when he began to speak.

"What did you say, little one?" Prince asked.

Harry swallowed. Had he already made him angry? " My angel called you Prince. She said you would come for me." Harry whispered.

"Your angel?" Prince asked, then gave him a small smile. "Does she have red hair and eyes like yours?" He asked.

"You know my angel?" Harry asked, a little louder this time.

Prince nodded. "Her name was Lily. She was very kind. She was your mother."

Harry shook his head. "No, my mommy wasn't nice. She was a drunk like daddy." Prince gave him a sad look.

"Where'd you hear that, little one? Did your aunt tell you that?" Prince asked. He nodded. His aunt always told him how mean his mom and dad were. That's why they died, his dad was driving drunk.

Prince shook his head sadly. "That's not true, Harry. I knew your mother. She and I were good friends for a

long time. She was a very kind lady. I'd be happy to tell you about her sometime."

"Are you going to send me back? They didn't do anything wrong. I fell down the stairs. Are they coming to get me soon?" Harry said. He hated lying, but he gave him the usual story anyways. That's what he always told people if they asked.

The woman shook her head. "It's okay, sweetheart. We know, you don't have to protect them anymore." She reached her hand forward again and he pulled it to his chest.

"You don't like being touched?" The man to her side said. He must be her husband. Harry mumbled something under his breath. "What was that, sweetie?" The nice woman asked.

"Freaks don't deserve to be touched. They didn't do anything, I swear!" He knew it was a lost cause but he fought for it anyway.

"Little one, I've seen the scars." Prince said sadly.

"Oh." Harry said. He didn't want to admit it, but he was relieved. "I don't have to go back?" he asked tentatively. Just because they knew didn't mean anything. He knew that from experience. The woman looked at him with tears in her eyes. He reacted immediately. He flinched back. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset! I'm sorry, miss, please don't hit me! I'll be good! Don't send me back! Please!" He cried.

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Narcissa felt her heart break at the sight. He didn't think he deserved to be touched? He thought they would hit him because she was sad? hat had these people done to this poor boy? She swore to herself she would make sure Severus brought her with him when he went to "talk" with them.

She didn't know why, but she needed to comfort this boy. He was so scared. She stood and sat on the edge of the bed. With a questioning look from Severus, she reached out to the boy. He flinched violently, but moved into her touch somewhat. She lightly pushed his arms down from his face where he put them. "Shhh, it's ok sweetheart. We won't hit you. We'll never hit you, sweetie." She suppressed a smile when he looked up.

"Promise me?" He all but whispered. "Aunt Petunia always told Dudley it's bad to break a promise." She couldn't suppress a smile this time.

"Well, she's right. I promise to you, we will never beat you, starve you or send you back to that place." She saw him visibly relax. "Now, I want to tell you something, sweetheart." He looked worried again.

"Yes ma'am?" He asked. Narcissa let out a laugh. "My name is Narcissa, sweetie. You can call me Aunt Cissy if you want." She thought for a second. "Oh! You could call me Nana. I've always wanted to be called that." She smiled.

"Can I call you that?" Harry said, looking excited.

Cissa smiled. "You most certainly can, sweetie." She looked at him with a touch of seriousness in her eyes.

"Now, sweetie what did you say about not being touched?" She asked.

"Freaks don't deserve to be touched. They deserve to be hit. Freaks don't deserve love." Harry said, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Her heart broke when she realized he was so used to it, he didn't even seem sad.

"Sweetie, everyone deserves to be loved. No one deserves to be hit. The people who told you that are monsters. You deserve to be loved. Heck, I just met you and I already love you." Narcissa said with a sad smile. It was true, she hadn't known him for more than a day and she already loved him. He was a sweet, caring boy.

"Really?" Harry asked, not trusting her completely yet. "Why, though? Why do you love a freak? I'm useless."

He said, looking in his lap. She moved her hand gently into his small hand and he looked back up at her.

"Because you're sweet and caring. You are smart, I can tell, and you are a wonderful little boy." She said.

"Sweetheart, why do you think your a freak?"

He silent for a second and then looked at the chair she was sitting in. Before she could say anything, it slowly rose into the air, hovered and went back down. He looked back at her. "I'm a freak." He said with a sigh.

Narcissa looked at her husband and friend, both sharing an awed look.

"Harry, that doesn't make you a freak. Have you heard of magic, Harry?" He nodded. Good, they were getting somewhere. Well, there are people who can control it. They are called witches and wizards." She started to explain to the boy.

"Are they the good guys?" He asked.

"Well, they are quite like other people. hey can be good and bad. I'm a witch, Harry. My husband, Lucius-"

"Please, you can call me Uncle Luc." Lucius said with smile. She really did love that man.

"He's a wizard. So is your Prince. His name is Severus. We call him Sev. You are one too, and that was powerful magic you did there." Narcissa added.

Harry looked at the chair and back to her. "I'm not a freak?"

"Not at all." She smiled. She watched in awe as he took her hand. "Hey, Harry I have an idea." She said. She really hoped this worked. She gently wrapped an arm around him, and after he relaxed into her, she carried him back to the chair and sat down with him in her lap. "Better?" She asked.

He looked at her and he looked scared, but he actually loved the closeness. He turned so his was curled in her lap with his ear on her chest to hear her heartbeat.

"Thanks, Nana. Can I sit here for while?" He asked.

She smiled. "As long as you want, pet." She leaned back and looked at the mediwitch that had left them alone until now. She gave her a smile. She looked at the boy in her lap. "Harry, there is a woman I would like you to meet."

Harry slowly turned his head to look at her sideways as he curled against his Nana. "Is she nice?" Narcissa laughed. "She's very nice, Harry. She helped you when we found you."

Poppy took her cue and stepped forward. "Hi, Harry. My name is Madame Pomphrey. I'm the nurse here. You're in the Infirmary. How do you feel?"

"I'm okay." He replied quickly.

Poppy gave him a sad smile. Narcissa leaned down and hugged the boy. He flinched, but not nearly as violently. He didn't pull away. "If you're in pain, sweetheart, we'd like to know so we could help you. We won't be mad, sweetie."

Harry looked up again. "Really, Nana?" She nodded. "Well, my head hurts a lot." He said quietly.

Poppy nodded. "You lost a lot of blood, so that's normal. It will go away soon. I can't give you anything for it, I'm afraid. It might make it worse with your condition. Well, I see you're well taken care of here. Harry, I need to check to see how the rest of you is doing. You will feel a slight tickling feeling, ok?" He nodded. She cast a diagnostic spell. Seeing he was stable, she explained how he should stay for at least a week with her. He was reluctant, but he nodded anyway. She went away to her office.

"Little one, I would like to ask you something." Severus spoke up.

Harry looked up again. "Since you're not staying with your relatives anymore, someone's going to have to take care of you. I would like to become your guardian. Your Nan can come visit as often as she wants. Would that be okay?" He asked.

Harry looked petrified. "You won't hit me either?" Severus shook his head. He knew the damage that did to a child. Hell, he had felt that damage. He didn't believe in spanking either. Harry looked really scared. "It's temporary, so you don't have to." Harry looked up at him.

"I want to." Harry said surprising all three adults. "My ang... my mom trusts you and wants me to go with you. You saved me. I want to." He finished. Severus smiled with pride.

"I think that we can do that." He said. He noticed the child yawning. He chuckled. "Looks like someone's tired."

Harry nodded. "Yes sir."

Severus was amazed at the child's manners. "Please, call me Severus. Or Sev. My godson calls me Uncle Sev if you like that."

Harry was confused. "Your godson?" He asked.

Narcissa answered him. "He's my son's godfather. My son's about your age. I'm sure he'd love to meet you.

He can come tomorrow if you like?" She really hoped he approved. If the two of them got along, that would make everything so much easier. She was hugely relieved to see him nod.

"Can you stay tonight?" He asked. She was so touched by how much he was trusting her. She gave Severus a look.

"Fine by me, I have to go talk to the nurse. I'll be right back." With that, he got up and walked towards the nurse's office.

Lucius stood as well. "Well, I'm going to go home and collect our son. I'll see you two in the morning. I'll just sleep there. " He said, sensing that Harry didn't exactly trust him yet. He gave his wife a kiss.

Narcissa stood up with the boy and carried him back to his be. She was surprised by how light he was. She made it her mission to look after this child as her own. She couldn't imagine anything happening to him. She tucked him in and kissed his forehead. He leaned into the kiss.

She smiled a she moved her chair so she was sitting right next to him as he slept. She closed her eyes and, for the first time since Draco was a child, she fell asleep to the sounds of soft snoring.

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_**Ok, not my best chapter, but it had to be written. You have to understand, not having any loving touch, Harry is bathing in it as much as he can. BTW: Nana, means aunt, not mother. just in case there's any question. Next chapter: Harry meets Draco and Severus finds out more about Harry's health. Mainly Harry and Draco, though. Till next time, keep an eye on Death Eaters near you! Bye guys!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: No many how many chapters I write, I still don't own anything. I'm still not blonde, British, or rich. Ha! I wish!**

_**Hey guys! As promised, weekly update. (Give or take a few days) Hope you guys liked the last chapter! I would also like to address one of the reviews, because it had to be mentioned.**_

**DesirePassion: **_**I'm really glad you brought up these points! So, here's my thoughts: James doesn't show up in his dreams, because Harry only called out to his mom. He of course, needs both parents, but right now, male figures in his life mean pain. He's afraid of them until he trusts them. Women mean comfort because, technically, his aunt never hit him. (Not that, in anyway, is she blameless.) Next, I agree with you about Severus. I initially wanted to have him by himself, but I wanted to hear what reviewers had to say, because your voices matter to me, too. I'm only thinking of pairings because I think every child has things they don't tell their parents. It's normal, but they say it to their friends. I wanted to know pairings because I wanted to prevent what people say with Harry and Ginny in the movies: sudden, awkwardness, that in one scene turns into "love". I want to create a bond early on so they actually get to know each other most of their lives. Hopefully, next time you can log in so I can hear your thoughts on this, too! PM me!**_

_**Alrighty! On with the story!**_

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As Harry and Narcissa fell asleep, Severus followed Poppy into her office. When they entered,

Poppy turned to face Severus with a wondered look on her face.

"Poppy, are you going to tell me what's going on?" Severus sneered. He wasn't a patient man.

Especially in a world where you could die any moment.

"I've never seen anything like it. He has the strongest magical core I've ever seen. He still has some minor injuries, but nothing major. His magic core is weakened which is why he's so tired today. I'd like to keep him in the infirmary for a few days just to keep an eye on him. If he shows promise in healing, I'd love it if I can help him improve that. Right now, healing himself makes him tired." Poopy explained.

"You're telling me if he works on it..." Severus started.

"He could be lifeline to himself and those he loves. Severus, your charge could be the strongest healer this wizarding world has ever seen! This information cannot leak out." Poppy stated seriously.

Severus schooled his expression. _Does she think I'm that much of an idiot? _"Of course not! He would be in even more danger than before!"

"Other than that, his other injuries have done well and are almost nonexistent. He needs rest tonight. I can keep an eye on him if you want to go get sleep?" Poppy asked.

He thought for a moment. He really was tired. Narcissa had the boy in her lap, so he wouldn't be alone. Poppy was here if he needed anything.

"Ok. Thank you, Poppy. Floo me if he needs anything. Or when he wakes up." Severus said. Poppy nodded. With that, Severus left and headed down to the dungeons for some much needed rest. His charge was safe.

The next day, Narcissa woke to see a soft light coming from the window. She smiled at the sight in her lap. Harry was sleeping peacefully in her lap with his head resting in her chest. He looked so small. He might look 5, if you had an imagination. _We'll have to change that, _She thought to herself. _No nephew of mine will be this underweight. Don't worry, Harry, you're safe now._

Not wanting to wake him up, she slowly and carefully stood up and carried Harry to his bed. She was amazed by how light he was. She gently set Harry down on the bed and covered him with the blanket. She ran a hand through his hair. She looked at the clock. She saw it was half past eight, she went to find Madame Pomphrey. She found the mediwitch in her office.

Narcissa cleared her throat. "Madame Pomphrey-"

"Please, call me Poppy. Seeing as that little boy will see that we spend a large amount of time together." The mediwitch smiled. "What can I do for you, Mrs. Malfoy?"

"Very well, but that means you call me Narcissa." She chuckled. "I was just wondering if Harry can have visitors? I would like him to meet my son, and I doubt either of the men checked to see if this was okay."

Poppy rolled her eyes and sighed. "You'd be correct, Narcissa. Neither checked. Yes, he can

indeed have visitors. He's really only in here for minor injuries and for me to keep an eye on him."

Narcissa let go of a breath she hadn't known she was holding. "Thank you, Poppy. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome." She Smiled and looked t the clock. "We should probably wake Harry up so he can eat. Merlin knows he doesn't need to miss a meal." She stood from her desk. "I'll floo Severus.

He would want to be with his charge."

Narcissa nodded and waited until Severus came through. The three walked over to the bed.

Narcissa went to sit down and took Harry's hand gently in both of hers. She held it gently while Severus called for him.

"Harry? Harry, it's time to wake up. Can you open your eyes for me? That's it, good morning sleepy head." He smiled.

Harry woke very slowly. He opened his eyes and saw his Nana and Severus.

"Hey, sweetheart. It's time for breakfast." Narcissa smiled.

Harry nodded in understanding. He went to get out of his be.

"What are you doing, Harry?" Severus asked.

"Going to make breakfast, sir." Harry mumbled.

"Oh no, Harry. You don't have to make breakfast. We wanted you to wake up so you can eat."

Severus said. The fact the boy in his condition felt he needed to serve them made him almost see red. Just then, he heard a voice in his head. _Don't you dare lose your temper right now. Get the bastards later. You might scare him._ The voice sounded strangely like Lily's.

"I get food? But I didn't do any chores yet." Harry asked.

"You don't have to do chores here, sweetie. We're here to take care of you. Not the other way around." Narcissa added. Just then, a house elf popped in with breakfast for four.

"Thank you, Spark. You may go." The house elf nodded to Poppy. With a _pop_ she was gone.

Severus turned to Harry. "That was a house elf. They cook for us, clean, and help us with that kind of thing. They do it willingly. They're treated quite nicely." He added when Harry gave him a horrified look.

Breakfast was a quiet affair while the adults explained how his Aunt's and Uncle's rules didn't apply here. While they were explaining the new rules, the heard someone come in and turned to see Lucius walking in with Draco right beside him.

Narcissa went over to her son and gave him a hug and a kiss. She carefully brought Draco over to where Harry was sitting on the bed.

"Mother, why is he so small?" Draco whispered. Narcissa answered that he would explain later.

Draco looked over Harry. He was so small! He was shorter than Draco and looked terrified. He looked at his Uncle Sev.

"Is he your godson, too?" Draco asked sweetly.

Severus considered for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you could say that if you wish." He chuckled.

Draco turned to Harry. He held out his hand. "I'm Draco. Draco Malfoy."

Harry slowly reached out and took Draco's hand. "I'm Harry." He whispered.

Draco smiled. "We have the same godfather. Do you know what that means?" Harry shook his head. "That makes us godbrothers! I think. How old are you?"

Harry looked at the boy and gave a smile. He as being really nice, maybe he wants to be friends. "I'm nine. I turned nine a few days ago."

Draco smile grew. "I'm nine, too! And I turned it awhile ago. That means I'm your big brother!" He said as he explained his reasoning. "That means, I protect you and teach you things and stuff like that I guess." He went over to Harry and sat on the end of his bed. Just then, Harry saw a scrape on Draco's arm.

"What happened to your arm?" Harry asked, pointing to where the scrape was.

"Oh, that? I was running up the castle to see you and I guess I fell a little harder than I though." Draco shrugged.

Harry frowned. His big brother hurt himself. He motioned for Draco to let him see it.

"Here, let me show you something." Harry asked. Draco showed him his arm and harry ran his left hand over the scrape lightly. Starting from where he first touched it, the wound cleaned itself and began to scab over and the there was nothing at all there as the scab healed itself, too. All the adults looked at Harry in awe. Draco was absolutely glowing.

"That's so cool! I can protect you and you can heal me! We can always have each other's backs!"

Draco said quickly. As he started explaining all they could do together, Poppy looked over to Severus with a smirk on her face. _Told you so._ She mouthed. He just smirked back.

Narcissa was glowing almost as much Draco. "Lucius, I think we were just given another son." Lucius just laughed.

Severus cleared his throat. He already explained the adoption to Harry and he had accepted. The potion was already brewing. It should be done by the end of the week. "Technically, he'll be my son." Severus spoke.

Narcissa just smiled. "So we get a nephew. Looks like the two already decided to call each other brothers. Nephew, son, close enough. He'll need his Nana." She sighed.

Severus put a hand on her shoulder. "Yes, he will."

Poppy looked at Severus. "As he will be your son, I need your permission to work with him on his healing powers when he starts school."

Severus looked at his charge. The boy that would be his son. The boy who had turned his life completely around in just a few days. Could he really do this? Be a father to an abused child? He hadn't exactly had a great role model, either. He looked closer at the little boy. He was eternally grateful to Draco for taking to the boy so much. He watched as both boys played with blocks on the floor that Lucius had brought for them. He didn't know if he could turn this child from a scared boy into a carefree boy like boys his age were supposed to be.

"Yes, I give my permission." Severus said finally.

Now it was Poppy's turn to be excited. She turned to go back into her office to do work. The hooligans would be returning from their summer 2 weeks and she had much to do.

As all three settled down for a few hours they watched as Harry and Draco talked and played. They all started talking themselves to catch up, as well.

A few hours later, Draco came running over with Harry following close behind. Harry ran over to Severus and Draco turned to his parents. Draco took a breath and started.

"We were thinking, since Harry has to stay here for another week..."

"...and Draco doesn't have to go back to his tutoring for two days..." Harry added.

"... well, we don't really know anything about each other..."

"... and we need to know each other better..."

"...since we're brothers now..."

"... if Draco could stay here with me for a few days..."

"... and then Harry can come with me to tutoring so we can learn together..."

"... so I'm not so behind..."

"if that's okay with you?" They both finished together. All three adults chuckled at the two boys.

They haven't even known each other for more than two hours and were acting like they might die if they say no. Severus turned to Harry.

"If it's ok with Draco's parents, I don't mind at all." Severus smiled. He was so glad Harry was opening up, but it still needed work. With Draco around Harry seemed less shy. He still spoke quietly, but that was to be expected.

Lucius and Narcissa looked at each other for a moment. Narcissa bent down to look both boys in the eye. Draco stood still, but Harry flinched back a little. Yes, they definitely had a long way to go.

Narcissa sighed. "Well, I guess you better get your stuff from home to stay, shouldn't you?" She smiled. Both boys looked at each other and cheered and thanked Narcissa. Narcissa hugged both of them, Harry flinched again, but didn't pull away. She smiled as the two went to pick up the toys. Draco came back and left with Lucius to the manor. Harry came back over quietly.

"

Thank you Nana, thank you Sev." He said quietly, as he smiled at the with a little more confidence.

Right there, Severus made his decision. No, he wasn't the perfect figure for the boy. He was going to make mistakes and there was no way he was going to do perfectly with the boy. But damn it, he was sure as hell going to try.

* * *

**_There we go! Another chapter down. No, Harry isn't changed instantly, but having fun for the first time gave him confidence. Don't worry, Harry and Severus will bond soon. The adoption talk will be in the next chapter, I just didn't ant to distract people from the importance of Harry/Draco brotherhood. See you guys later!_**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nothing. Except for plot line. Last time I'm going to say this. NOTHING. Credit belongs to J.K. Rowling.

That was so not a week, and I'm a bad person for making you wait so long. School started and I've been in over my head with stuff to do. I can never apologize enough and as always, I thank my readers so much for having patience and all that with me. This is the chapter I'm doing the "adoption talk" with Harry and Severus. I had so much to write last chapter and didn't leave enough space to write it out the way I wanted it. I didn't want it to be quick, I wanted there to be a bond, so here it is. Not sure what else will be in the chapter, so the talk will have as much space as it needs. Hope you like! Review!

* * *

Severus watched as his soon-to-be son and his godson talking and playing with the building blocks Draco had brought. Draco was telling Harry all about Hogwarts and the different houses while Harry helped build what looked to be a castle of it's own. He smiled to himself, imagining how much more comfortable the boy would be if given more time. He was so painfully shy, but he was getting better.

Poppy had said he was clear to go to Severus' quarters but the house elves weren't done adding Harry's room to it yet, so he could go home tomorrow. Home. It was nice to think that with the boy. He was so nervous the boy wouldn't accept his offer, he almost didn't give it.

FLASHBACK

Severus waited until everyone was busy before talking to Harry by himself. He walked over to the bed, and Harry looked up from the book Poppy had given him and gave Severus a weak smile. The sight made Severus happier than he had been in years. He was starting to trust him. Not completely, but it was a start.

"Hey Harry." Severus said as he took a seat next to his bed. "I'd like to ask you something."

"Yes sir?" Harry asked.

Severus smiled at his formality. We'll work on that. He thought. "You remember how I told about the guardianship?" Harry nodded. "Well, I want to talk to you about something along those lines." He couldn't yet bring himself to say the word yet.

"You're not sending me back, are you? Did I do something wrong? Please don't send me away, I'll be good I promise!" Harry rushed to say.

Severus looked at him in shock. He thought he did something wrong? He hasn't even been awake for 10 hours, what could he have done?

"No Harry, I will never send you away. You have done nothing wrong, and even if you did, I will never, ever send you away." Severus soothed. It was true, every word.

"Really?" Harry asked hopefully. Severus nodded. Harry visibly relaxed and listened to Severus.

"Yes, really. I would never make you go back there. I care about you. That's why... I'd like to adopt you." Severus said cautiously. If the boy refused, he had a list of people who could take over the position of his guardian, he would never force his company on the boy.

Harry looked at him confused. "Why would you want me? I'm a freak. I always will be."

Severus moved closer to the boy. "Listen to me, Harry, and listen well." He waited as Harry nodded. "Good. You are not a freak. You are a gifted young boy who deserves love. What those people did to you was wrong. You didn't deserve that and you will never be subject to that treatment again. As for why I want to dopt you, why wouldn't I? You are a kind hearted boy who cares for others and is very smart for his age. Isn't this the fifth book Poppy has brought to you?" Harry showed a

rare smile. "So, what do you say? would you be okay with being my son?"

Harry hesitated for few moments before answering. "Do you like books?"

Severus chuckled. "I love books, actually. Probably just as much as you do. I have a very large collection in my rooms downstairs." He left out the dungeons part, might as well cross that bridge when they got to it.

Harry's eyes lit up. "Really?" Severus nodded. "Does that mean I can see them sometime?"

"Of course, they'd be your quarters, too, after all." Severus said soothingly.

"I think I'd like that." Harry said.

Severus let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. He nodded. He went to sit on the edge of the bed. "Are you sure? This is rather permanent. You can't change your mind."

Harry smiled. Two smiles in less than five minutes, this is new! Severus thought. "I'm sure."

Severus was surprised. "Thank you, Harry. I'm a very proud father." He opened his arms to the boy. He sucked in a surprised breath as he found himself with arms full of a little boy. He had a death grip and didn't look to loosening it. His arms wrapped around the small child. His son. He reminded himself. He looked over Harry's shoulder at the book he was reading. His eyebrows raised. It was a third year potions textbook.

When Harry pulled back (which wasn't right away), he looked at the boy.

Severus gestured toward the book. "Do you understand that book?"

Harry's eyes lit up as he nodded. "Do you really teach this?"

Severus nodded. "Indeed I do. Did you like the other books?"

Harry nodded. "It sounds a lot like cooking! That was my favorite chore at the Dursley's! Do you think you could show me some stuff?"

Severus looked up and down at the boy in front of him. "If you wish. We can start working on it after you get out of here. So, what potion would you want to make with me?" He was going through a list in his mind of things he could go over with the boy and ingredients he would be okay working with, but he wondered what the boy would want to do.

Harry's eyes lit up like emerald stars as he explained what he thought of the books and potions. He was so excited by the topic. Maybe this can work. Severus thought.

END OF FLASHBACK

He smiled at the thought. He walked over and sat on a chair so he was close enough if they needed him but far enough to give them their privacy.

* * *

On the floor by Harry's hospital bed, the brothers were having their own conversation. Draco was rather curious about his brother's behavior. He wasn't stupid, he knew there was something, but he didn't push it because his mother told him she'd tell him soon. He rather enjoyed his brother's company. He didn't talk much, but he did help as much as he could with the castle.

They were playing with dragon figures pretending the castle was there lair. It was plainly obvious Draco was protective of his brother. He wouldn't let any adult that wasn't his parents or godfather get too close to him without sticking to his side.

Dumbledore wasn't very fond of how close the two were, but decided to hold his tongue. He would discuss Harry's relationship with the Malfoys' with Severus at a later date. Harry still flinched back a lot, but he was getting better.

He continued to warm up to the family, but slowly, Draco was the fastest to warm up to. Harry and Draco were acting like they had grown up together. One of them was rarely seen without the other. They played together, ate together and they had even started tutoring together.

Everyone was surprised how well Harry was doing in his classes. After he realised he wouldn't get in trouble for doing well, he was very good. His math wasn't very

good, but that was to be expected.

Harry looked at his brother. "Hey Draco?"

Draco looked up. "Yeah?"

"What's gonna happen when Sev adopts me?" Harry asked concerned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we won't be brothers anymore."

Draco walked over to sit next to Harry. He put his hand on his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Doesn't matter. You were my brother first, and you always will be. Only now, you'll be my cousin, too. That means I'll get to be twice as protective." Draco smirked. He laughed when Harry groaned.

In seriousness, though, he was glad he had his brother. He was scared Draco wouldn't want a brother if it wasn't his actual brother. When he figured out they would be cousins, he was scared that Draco would turn into Dudley. He couldn't picture any other kind of cousin.

"So don't worry . I'll protect you when you need it. Do you remember healing my arm?" Harry nodded. "Think you could do it again if I needed it?" Draco smirked.

His plan worked, because Harry gave a genuine laugh. He nodded. "Well then, there you go." They continued to build. They finished building the castle as they looked proudly at one another.

"So what house do you want to be in when you come here?"

Draco beamed. "Most of my family has been in Slytherin! I'm sure that's where I'm gonna go. My parents said they don't care where I go, but I think my dad wants me there, too."

Harry considered what he said for a minute. "If we are in different houses-"

"Nope." Draco interrupted without looking up.

"What?" Harry asked confused.

"It's not going to happen. I'll make sure it doesn't." Draco said.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"I don't wanna be in different houses." Draco pouted. "No, I can't be positive but I'm sure we'll be in the same house." Draco leaned forward and lowered his voice. "I don't trust the headmaster."

Harry looked very puzzled am leaned forward, imitating Draco. "Why?"

Just as Draco was going to speak again, he saw his parents and godfather coming over.

"Hey, guys!" Narcissa said cheerfully.

"Hello, Mother! Hello, Father! I didn't know you were coming today!" Draco said to his parents.

Harry gave a small smile to them. "Hi Nana, hi Uncle Luc. Do you like the castle we built?"

Narcissa bent down to get a better look at the castle. She was very impressed by it. It had a striking resembling to Hogwarts, except with taller walls. She looked at her nephew and son with admiration. "That's very impressive, boys."

"Thank you, Nana." Harry said quietly and blushed at the praise.

"So boys, I wanted to ask you two a question." Lucius said, stepping beside his wife.

Draco looked at his father thoughtfully. "What is it?"

Lucius bent down to look them both in the eye.

"Well ,Sev has some errands to attend to tomorrow, so I'll be watching you guys. I thought we could go to Diagon Alley for a while. Harry doesn't have many clothes or thing, and then maybe get ice cream afterward. What do you guys think?" Lucius asked.

Harry looked at his guardian, soon-to-be father with a knowing look. "You're going to visit them, aren't you?" He asked.

Severus sighed. He was hoping Harry wouldn't know what he was doing. "Among other things, sure."

Harry nodded, with an expressionless face. Severus briefly wondered if this was the thing to tell him. "I will never lie to you, Harry. At least, I will do my best not to. If I

do, I want you to know I will do it for your own good."

"Yes, sir." Harry said, nodding. Then he looked over at his brother and his parents. "Is Nana coming, too?" Harry asked, excitedly.

Narcissa smiled as she crouched down and held open her arms. After a brief hesitation, she found herself with an armful of Harry. "Of course I'll come, sweetie. If you want me to." She smiled as he nodded into her shoulder.

Severus cleared his throat loudly as Draco stepped over to his brother and mother as well. After the three were done with a small group hug, they looked up at him.

"So, Draco can stay here again tonight, then you can get them in the morning." He said, watching as they all nodded. Alright, then. Shall we have dinner, then?"

And as they all settled in, talked, conversed and most importantly ate, the pending family had it's first real peace in days of worry.

I could get used to this. Harry thought. Unbeknownst to him, his brother was thinking the same thing.

* * *

_**This isn't my favorite chapter, but it could have been worse. Next chapter, The Dursleys' finally get the punishment they've been asking for! I have a pretty good idea of what I'm going to do, but I'm open to suggestions, as always! I love how patient you guys are and can never thnk you enough! I promise to get the next chapter out as soon as I can! If you guys have things that you do, or don't like, let me know! Love you guys!**_


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